Observations Upon the Four Gospels: Shewing Their Defects, ... Thereby ...

and in this last story I fear he has rather over done it, in telling us that Jesus said to the penitent malefactor—To day thou shalt be with me in Paradise. This promise, if made at all, was made upon the Friday. Now St. John in his 20th chapter tells us that when Mary Magdalene, after the resurrection, advanced to salute Jesus, he said to her—.' Touch me not, for I am yot yet 'ascended to my Father.' This was upon the Sunday following; and that being the case, what becomes of the promise? or at least of its accomplishment? St. John though he has omitted, in his account of the crucifixion, the interesting particulars aforesaid; has inserted some particulars, omitted by the others, but in which he himself was interested, viz.—' Now there stood by 'the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother's 'sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary 'Magdalene, when Jesus therefore saw his mo'ther, and the disciple standing by, whom he 'loved, (St. John) he saith unto his mother, 'Woman, behold thy Son.' If these and the following words were not accompanied with particular movements of the head; he must mean himself. 'Then faith he to the disciple, Behold 'thy mother.' We must however suppose they were so accompanied, as John tells—' From that * hour that disciple took her unto his own home.' Whether her husband was living or dead at that time, we have no account. J am inclined to

think he was dead; for the reasons given page 45; and thereto adding the impropriety of this disposal had Joseph been alive.

We will now examine the inscription, wrote by Pilate, and fixed upon the cross above the head of Jesus, viz.

This Is Jesus The King Of The

Jews, according to Matthew.

The King Of The Jews, - Mark.

This Is The King Of The Jews, Luke.

Jesus Of Nazareth The King Of

The Jews, . - - John.

Luke and John tell us that this inscription was wrote in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Matthew wrote in Hebrew: the other three in Greek; but neither of them understood Latin. The translation from Matthew might therefore differ from those of the other three; but how is it that the last three differ from each other? St. John, who seems to be the only one present, and is the only one who informs us that the inscription was wrote by Pilate; gives us this additional anecdote— 1 Then said the chief priests of the Jews (after 1having read the inscription) to Pilate: 'Write 'not the king of the Jews, but that he faid, 1 'am king of the Jews.' Pilate answered, 1What '. I have written, I have written.' There is, I think, little doubt that Pilate's motive in this, was to mortify the Jews for their obstinate perseverance
severance in obtaining the death of Jesus, con- chapter Verse trary to the governor's wishes, and regardless of his request. We will now proceed to the circumstances which happened at the death of Jesus, in which we shall find Matthew and Mark so perfectly agreeing, and their arrangement so very like; that we may be tempted to suspect one copied from the other. Luke and John differ* not only from them, but from each other. We will first take Matthew's account—' Now fromxxvii. 45 'the sixth hour, there was darkness over all the 'land until the ninth hour. (Mark fays—over 'the whole land. Luke fays—over all the earth. 1John fays nothing about the darkness or earth1quake.) And about the ninth hour, Jesus • 46 'cried with a loud voice saying—Eli, Eli, lama 'Sabackthani? that is to say—My God, my 'God, why hast thou forsaken me? Some of 4;

'them that stood there, when they heard that, 'said, This man calleth for Elias. And straight- 48

'way one of them ran, and took a sponge, and 'silled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and 'gave him to drink. The rest said, Let be, let 49

'us see whether Elias will come to save him. 1Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud 1voice, yielded up the ghost. And behold the j0

'vail of the temple was rent in twain from the s,

'top to the bottom.' Thus far Mark's account seems a transcript of Matthew's, varying nothing in matter, and very little in form. And here it

is

is necessary to consider the import of Jefus's last words—' My God, my God: why hast thou for

* saken me?' This, according to our conceptions, plainly indicates a disappointment: he did not expect to be in these circumstances, or he expected to be better supported under them. 'He 'cried again with a loud voice.' A second proof of his human weakness. The subterfuge of our school-men—that be felt like a man, but died like a God: is merely pomp of words: that he felt like a man, is evident by the records of Matthew, Mark, and Luke: but that he died like a God, is disproved by two of them. Here we must abandon the Godhead of Jesus, or give up the evidence of two evangelists Matthew and Mark. Luke fays not a word of this exclamation; nor does John, who was present, and who says of himself upon this occasion, ch. xix. v. 35, 'And he

* that saw it bare record, and his record is true: 'and he knoweth that he faith true, that ye

* might believe.' Let us now examine the evidence of these two. The first says (ch. xxiii. V. 44) ' And it was about thejixth hour, and there 'was darkness over all the earth until the ninth 'hour. And the sun was darkened. (Luke only, 'mentions the fun.) And the vail of the temple 'was rent in the midst; and when Jesus had cried

* with a loud voice, he said—(not the discon

* tented exclamation recorded by Matthew and 'Mark: but submissively and resignedly—Fa

'ther>
'ther, into thy hands I commend my spirit.' Luke adds—* And having said thus he gave up 'the ghost.' St. John's record differs from them all. After reciting the disposal Jesus made of his mother, which I have already noticed, he goes on (ch. xix. v. 28.)—' After this Jesus knowing { that all things were now accomplished, that the 'scripture might -be fulfilled, faith, I thirst. 'Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and 1they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it 'upon hysop, and put it to his mouth. (This 'was a humane custom, administered upon these 'occasions under an idea that it deadened the 'pain; or rather—that it rendered the sufferer 'less sensible of it.) When Jesus therefore had 'received the vinegar, he said—It is finijhed. * And he bowed his head and gave up the ghost.' Here we have not one loudcry; and the last speech is totally unlike the others: but we must observe, that it implies a calm resignation; and in that respect, unites with Luke against Matthew and Mark. It is observable also (though the matter, compared with the last, is but of little consequence) how much they differ in the composition, time, and circumstances, relative to the beverage. Matthew says—' They gave him vinegar to drink, 'mingled with gall: and when he had tasted 'thereof, he would not drink.' This seems to be unasked and previous to his being fastened to the cross. Mark fays—' And they gave him to